Shannon Sharpe, Ja Morant’s dad exchange words at Grizzlies-Lakers game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Tempers flared during Friday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies…but the incident primarily involved an NFL Hall of Famer and one of the player’s father.
Tee Morant, the father of Grizzlies star Ja Morant, and Shannon Sharpe, a former NFL player turned Fox Sports television personality, exchanged words and had to be separated while courtside at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Sharpe told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that the incident began when he exchanged words with Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks after he was defending LeBron James during a play in front of his seat at the end of the second quarter.
Sharpe told McMenamin that he told Brooks he was too small to guard James. Brooks responded with an expletive.
“He started to come at me and I said, ‘You don’t want these problems,'” Sharpe told McMenamin. “And then Ja came out of nowhere talking. He definitely didn’t want these problems. Then the dad came and he obviously didn’t want no problems. But I wanted anything they had. Don’t let these fools fool you now.”
Ja Morant was stopped by teammate Steven Adams, who also began shouting at Sharpe. Referees and security were among those who intervened as order was restored.
Sharpe spent halftime in the tunnel with security before returning to his seat for the third quarter, per McMenamin.
Tee Morant later told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT that he and Sharpe “are good” and he has “nothing but love for him.”
Sharpe and Tee Morant even hugged it out before the start of the fourth quarter.